President’s Report

Catherine Ouellet-Martin, BCMA President

I would like to take the opportunity given to me here to open a door on the work of the BCMA Council. Once voted in at the AGM, Council may seem to disappear from view and only reemerge at the next AGM, but between these annual events, BCMA Council is a busy hub of governance. In this and upcoming editions of Roundup, I will dedicate my report to giving you – the membership – an update on the work performed behind the scenes by your elected Council. I invite you to stay engaged and offer feedback on the work done on your behalf; the Association can only be the richer for it.

Working closely with our Executive Director, your Council is responsible for the management of the property, revenue, business, and affairs of the Association. Council establishes policies within which the Executive Director and his team can operate, and monitors the execution of policies through a variety of formal and informal reports from the Executive Director. This is a governance model that is likely very familiar to those of you who operate as a non-profit society headed by a Board of Directors. But how does this get implemented in practice?

Well, as busy museum professionals, you will certainly agree with me that some of the best strategies to accomplish your work, especially when a multitude of demands compete for your time, is to partition the work, enlist help and delegate. Your BCMA Council does this through the work of several committees: the Executive, Advocacy, Professional Development & Education, Financial Sustainability & Governance, and Indigenous Advisory Committees are essential to the proper governance of the Association and the workings of Council. Each committee is comprised of Council members and members-at-large from the cultural and heritage sector. Details for each committee can be found on the BCMA website. While the Executive Committee’s operations are guided by Council processes and governance, the other four are directly tied to the strategic priorities of the Association as established by the current strategic plan.

Committees review, assess, and make recommendations to Council on questions, issues, initiatives, and opportunities that directly relate to their area of interest. These are clearly defined by the terms of reference established for each committee. Working with volunteer committees helps ensure the voices of our members are reflected in our programs, events, and advocacy efforts. Recruiting for the committees has concluded, but we welcome members to reach out to committees of interest if they have capacity to provide assistance.

Over the year, I look forward to bringing you news and updates on the amazing variety and quantity of work performed for the good of the membership by your BCMA Council and its committees.

Sincerely,

Catherine